Republican Wants to Revive Earmarks — With Transparency (Updated)

Updated 10:01 p.m. | A Republican appropriator on Friday called for reviving congressional earmarks so lawmakers can use the power of the purse — but wants it to be transparent.

During a wide-ranging interview airing Sunday on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” program, Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota urged a transparent process of congressionally-directed spending, when asked if earmarks should be allowed again in appropriations bills.

“I think there’s got to be, you know, full, open transparency and disclosure, but Congress has to work to make these decisions about where the dollars are spent and how, but everything has to go through a full open process, and not only … in the committee, but also on the floor,” Hoeven said, “I think that’s how you address the whole issue of earmarking in a way where Congress fulfills its rightful role that best serves the public.”

He said such a practice would provide a better opportunity to slash “pork” and “cut things that should not be funded.”

The Republican senator’s viewpoint is similar to that of some other veterans of the Appropriations panel, including Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill.

Durbin responded directly to a letter circulated Thursday by Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Mark Udall, D-Colo., pushing to continue an earmark moratorium. Durbin said he didn’t like that idea.

“I do not want to turn over the decision on the future of projects in the state of Illinois to someone in Washington who is not familiar with our state, our economy and how we can build jobs in my state,” Durbin told CQ Roll Call.

On the broader issue of spending for the next year, Hoeven said Friday he is backing efforts by panel Democrats to work the regular fiscal 2015 appropriations bills through the committee and to the floor for consideration.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in March that he planned to carve out four weeks in June and July for the purpose of taking up spending bills. For Republicans, the measures could give them a rare opportunity to offer myriad amendments.

“You talk about getting back to regular order, which is the context for this whole conversation. Appropriation bills coming to the floor are our best way to force that to happen, so you know again, I’m a member of the Appropriations Committee,” Hoeven said Friday. “I’m very supportive of trying to get these bills through the committee and to the floor because it’s very hard for the majority party not to allow an open amendment process on those appropriation bills.”

The Senate’s rules governing floor consideration of spending bills to impose significant restrictions on extraneous amendments, making debate more manageable for the Democrats — at least theoretically.

“That’s the best way for us to force a lot of these votes and issues to come to the floor and make people address them and vote on them, and that is what serves the American public,” Hoeven added.

A few hours after we posted this story, Hoeven called to complain about the headline and the lede, which he didn’t think fairly represented what he said. We disagree.

Hoeven told me that he supported “congressionally directed spending” rather than “earmarks,” and that “if it’s done in an open, transparent and accountable way,” that’s not an earmark.

“We should have congressionally directed spending that’s open, transparent and accountable,” he said.

“I think there’s a difference between congressionally directed spending and an earmark. I think that’s what I was getting at. …
I did not say I want to revive earmarks with transparency.”

While the senator, after our story posted, may want to create a new definition of earmark, we have had a definition for a long time. The Senate itself notes that congressionally directed spending items are “commonly known as ‘earmarks.'”

Bobby

May 2, 2014
5:24 p.m.

Derfallbright

May 3, 2014
4:39 p.m.

This whole spending issue by Congress is complicated. What our congressmen have become is elected lobbyist (money grabbers) for their district or their state. It might be better if somehow all spending for all local projects inside the USA be block granted to each state, or at least have a rule that no Senator or Congressman could vote on any bill that would include a project in his or her state. I think this would at least force congress people to talk to each other….you vote for my pork project I’ll vote for yours kind of thing. At least with the system of not being able to vote for spending in your own state or district it might keep some of the actual lobbyist confused.

darthgidget

May 5, 2014
4:14 p.m.

ExVariable

May 6, 2014
2:10 a.m.

Even though liberty’s principles differ from democratic processes, democratic methods can support liberty where they offer each of us input into the political decisions that affect our lives and liberty.

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About #WGDB

Niels Lesniewski has covered the Senate for CQ Roll Call since January 2010, and more recently as a staff writer and resident procedure guru for Roll Call. Niels holds degrees in both government and theater but sometimes can't tell the difference between the two. @nielslesniewski